Community Forums

Sparechange · 10-18-2016, 09:46 PM

Have some warranty work being done in mid November and trying to decide the best way down there from north of Seattle. And maybe some advice on local stuff to do while its getting fixed. I've never went over any of the washington passes this late in the year and not sure what to expect. Thinkin it might be better to just head down to portland and over.

Thanks

Skip426 · 10-18-2016, 10:06 PM

Your local, WA. state passes over to Yakima, plan to use one you know , check conditions the morning you leave.
THEN the fun one , the climb on I-84 out of Pendleton.
Have you driven that hill before in any season ?
I spent a night in the Wild Horse Casino RV park waiting for the chain up requirement to be lifted , late November, ( with about 500 of my closest trucker friends) the chain requirement was off in the morning , and away I ( well all of us ) went , only to have the chain up requirement put back on 2/3 the way up the climb. Not a fun day. Check the weather reports and cross your fingers.
Check the Oregon DOT web page for a link to their traffic cams. I have the link and will post it if I can track it down.

Tuquala · 10-18-2016, 10:51 PM

https://tripcheck.com/Pages/RCMap.asp#

As to route, I would just go down I5 to I205 to I84 and on to La Grande. That way you miss Snoqualmie if weather is bad. As to weather, can't say at this time, but probably won't have any problem early in Nov. If there is some rain and snow, wait till afternoon and go over the hill then. If it did snow, it usually is gone by late morning to early afternoon. Not that high of a pass and generally moderate temps daytime. NO GUARANTY though!!!

If weather is nice and clear, I90 down to I84 is good, but more ups and downs, lots of construction, and is shorter that down 5.

Jeff and Cheryl · 10-18-2016, 11:20 PM

I-5 to I-205 to I-84 is the way I would go/have gone. One pass of consequence is east of Pendleton, Cabbage Hill. If you go thru mid-day you should be OK.
In La Grande you are near the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway.
A great place for dinner is Hanes Steakhouse in Hanes.

Sparechange · 10-19-2016, 07:09 AM

Thanks for the replys. I have driven cabbage hill years ago but wasnt pulling anything and dont remember much of it anyways. Sounds like good advice hitting it later in the day.

Wood Chip · 10-19-2016, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip426

Your local, WA. state passes over to Yakima, plan to use one you know , check conditions the morning you leave.
THEN the fun one , the climb on I-84 out of Pendleton.
Have you driven that hill before in any season ?
I spent a night in the Wild Horse Casino RV park waiting for the chain up requirement to be lifted , late November, ( with about 500 of my closest trucker friends) the chain requirement was off in the morning , and away I ( well all of us ) went , only to have the chain up requirement put back on 2/3 the way up the climb. Not a fun day. Check the weather reports and cross your fingers.
Check the Oregon DOT web page for a link to their traffic cams. I have the link and will post it if I can track it down.

2 weeks ago I traveled I-84 to La Grande and I will say that grade out of Pendleton is no joke. Most big rigs were down to a crawl.

Rickeoni · 10-19-2016, 01:59 PM

How does this compare to the Coq?

GoneRVn · 10-19-2016, 02:06 PM

It is about the same as the Coq.
Check for the wind out of Portland, it can get really bad through the gorge.

Wapa1 · 10-19-2016, 02:07 PM

I waited 8+ hours between Baker City and La Grande once. Several big trucks off the road coming down the grade in to Wildhorse/Pendleton. They had to close the road while some cranes and wreckers winched them back up. Pretty serious I heard. Loss of life for a couple truckers. As per always...slow down!

oh oh · 10-19-2016, 02:22 PM

Go to Washington dot and look at the cameras of the passes. Then go to or dot and do the same. That will tell you what it's like

RainBird-OR · 10-27-2016, 04:37 PM

Depending upon how much time you have to kill... you could easily spend several hours at the Hot Springs Resort in La Grande touring the building and seeing the museum upstairs - 2 floors of Native American & Early war artifacts. Ask if you can visit with David Manual - world renowned bronze artist.. and tour his foundry. We have visited many times. If you have several days to kill, drive up to Pendleton for the woolen mill tour, or over to Joseph for the scenery.